Summer holidays & security: How to limit the loss of business continuity

Summer holidays & security: How to limit the loss of business continuity

The summer season, despite its hedonistic appeal, can present business continuity problems for organisations. Summer holidays are in abundance, sickness rises due to allergies and shockingly, overall workplace productivity decreases by 20%. Business operations need to manage this tumultuous period but without micromanaging, banning privileges or restricting annual leave. Centralising your IT policy to your core business strategy can actually help maintain the same level of output during these vulnerable times, ensuring all employees are focused and enabled with the right modern technology to do their job effectively and efficiently.

Adopting a flexible working scheme is proven to actually improve employee productivity and satisfaction, being that they can access business data remotely and work at times that suit them. This environment creates a positive attitude to working, as well as increased levels of output in that employees often subconsciously work extra hours from their personal devices; 45% engage in work related matters outside of their contractual hours.

So let’s take a look at the ways in which your business can benefit in the summer season when employee productivity is down and staff numbers fluctuate.

The Mobile Workforce
The mobile workforce streamlines your business in more ways than one. Employees can access business data remotely and diminish the need for lengthy, manual paperwork. Maintaining business continuity relies on efficient processes, so by allowing your staff to operate using mobile devices, you create a 24/7 availability culture, improving overall workplace productivity. Businesses who have successfully implemented a mobile technology policy have been able to bring revenue streams online 35% faster than those companies that focus on individual needs. Mobile technology creates the platform for agility so businesses can turn around new client wins quickly, boosting your bottom line and cash flow.

The Workforce In the Cloud
Similarly to implementing a mobile policy for employees to adhere to, cloud technology cuts out the need for paperwork and speeds up processes and transactions. When employees are at home, on the road or visiting a client, they are still able to upload, download and share information – a vital capability for the modern business. During the summer when employees are on holiday, the cloud enables your business to access key documents and files from specific accounts and maintain business continuity. They will also probably be grateful you don’t have the need to disturb them whilst they’re out of the office.

The Challenges
Like all technology, there are security risks involved in these solutions to limiting the loss of business continuity. When implementing a mobile device policy, you need to consider the security of that data without putting unrealistic restrictions on the employee’s usage, as with the cloud, you need to be prepared for data security breaches. If you can access the cloud when employees are away, who else can? Are employees sharing sensitive data using their mobile devices to unauthorised persons? Your data protection policy should focus heavily on both internal and external attacks, ensuring your IT systems are in a position to recover quickly from a data breach and minimise both business continuity and financial losses.

For more information on hoe best to protect your business’ productivity and bottom line in times of increasing data security attacks, download our free roadmap HERE

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